New London police department earns state's highest level of accreditation

New London — The city’s police department has been recognized by the State of Connecticut Police Officer Standards and Training Council as a Tier One Accredited Agency.

Police Chief Margaret Ackley announced in a press release that the designation was effective Thursday. New London is one of only 30 law enforcement state agencies statewide to have met the standards for accreditation.

The council’s inspection team conducted an on-site assessment of the New London department July 19 and found no deficiencies in 124 areas of liability. Tier One accreditation categories primarily encompass high-liability areas like pursuits, use of force, the handling of prisoners and command and control functions.

The council is the centralized state body that oversees and directs the training, certification and mandated policy development for all law enforcement officers and agencies in Connecticut, other than the Connecticut State Police.

The goal of the program is to gain voluntary compliance to a set of professional practices that exemplify modern, compassionate and ethical policing operations.

A statement issued by the police department said Ackley, who was appointed chief in 2009, has made professional standards and the uniformity of services provided to the public a priority. The policy development, procedural changes and additions to staffing required to achieve accreditation has taken over eighteen months to accomplish.